Background 

Luke chapter 12 verses 35 to 53 - “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” Peter said, "Lord, are you addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?" And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

How we are dressed is important. Accepting Jesus and his salvation is described as putting off rags and replacing them with festal robes (Zechariah chapter 3 verses 4,5; Luke chapter 15 verse 22; 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 1 to 5; 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 53).

Jesus’ return will be ‘at an unexpected hour’ (Luke chapter 12 verse 40). We need to live as though it will be soon. It requires good stewardship where there are responsibilities, being faithful. To give some emphasis the parables are written in an extreme way, stressing the importance of readiness demonstrated by behaviour.

The Exodus of the Children of Israel in the Old Testament is an example (Exodus chapter 12). The phrase ‘girded up his loins’ is often used as a term for readiness (e.g. 1 Kings chapter 18 verse 46; Ephesians chapter 6 verse 14; 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 13). It refers to tucking in your cloak to enable movement.

There is an emphasis on being filled with the Holy Spirit, illustrated by keeping lamps lit (Exodus chapter 27 verses 20,21; Luke chapter 12 verses 12, 35; 11 verses 13, 33).

The Holy Spirit is instrumental in establishing the Kingdom of God on earth and bringing Jesus back.

The hour may not be known, but the nearness will be sensed (Matthew chapter 24 verses 42 to 44).

Life should be dominated by the return of Jesus and living by the Holy Spirit to establish the Kingdom of God.

Jesus knows that his intervention is going to cause division, those who accept him and those who do not. This hurts him and can happen within households (Luke chapter 12 verses 49 to 53). Jesus sees people’s hearts. It had been prophesied (Micah chapter 7 verses 1 to 8).

The context is that Jesus is still talking about inheritance (verse 13). When he returns those who are looking for him will receive it, but there are those who have rejected, and will reject him (Matthew chapter 10 verses 39 to 42; Acts chapter 26 verses 15 to 18; Colossians chapter 3 verses 23 to 25).